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Saddle up for ranching & rodeos in Kissimmee

23rd August 2010 Print
Saddle up for ranching & rodeos in Kissimmee

Discover the secrets and remarkable history of the cowboy at Kissimmee's annual Rodeo and Heritage Festival.

With a line up of whip cracking contests, authentic cracker cow hunter cow camps, gunfight re-enactments, leather crafters and beef cook offs, the Florida Ranch Rodeo and Cowboy Heritage Festival is set to be another jam-packed celebration taking place this October.

Kissimmee is bracing itself to be taken over by working cowboys and cattle for a long weekend starting on Friday 1st October through to Saturday 2nd October. Organised by the Florida Cattlemen's Association, the event showcases the elaborate skill and expertise directly from Florida working ranches to the rodeo. The Ranch Rodeo Finals kick off the festivities on the Friday with accomplished ranchers, as opposed to rodeo showmen, showcasing their raw talent at the Silver Spurs Stadium. In a tradition steeped in history the finest ranchers and cowboys from across the state, many descendants from their ranching ancestors, compete against other qualified Floridian ranchers to earn a podium position.

The rodeo is closely followed on 2nd October with a free family-friendly festival that is a modern day look at cowboy heritage past and present. To celebrate Florida's Cracker Cowboy heritage, held at Osceola Heritage Park, is an impressive line up of things to see, do and eat! Embracing local talent, visitors can enjoy regional cabbage swamp cook-offs with big money prizes, marvel at the skill of whip plaiters and leather crafters and local artisans. The festival is also a rare opening into the world of ranch life - listen to the stories, experiences of rodeos, ranch life and Native American encampment passed down through generations from ancestral cowboys. The exhaustive line up ensures that there is quite literally something for the whole family to learn and enjoy.

For further information on Florida's Ranch Rodeo and Cowboy Heritage Festival, visit: visitkissimmee.com

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Saddle up for ranching & rodeos in Kissimmee